58mark

iTrader: (3)

forgive me if this is a basic, newbie question. I did a search but couldn't find the answer I was looking for

i have the stock 15x7 wheels that came with the 89rs, normally that would mean using a 215/65/r15, but I was wondering if I could go to a wider tire with that same wheel? I'd like to put the widest tire I can on the back, but I like the stock look of the wheels, and dont want to change.

would the bead still seal and all that jazz? I'm also wondering if going to a 60 series would effect my speedometer reading, and how much.

89-bird

I have run 245-60-15's on my Firebird wheels with little rubbing in full lock to lock turning . I am currently running BFG Radials in a 225-60-15 size with no issues . The thing to remmember is that the factory tires are 26 inches tall so you want to stay as close to that as possible to not through off the speedo .

58mark

iTrader: (3)

I would LOVE to run 245's in the back... that would look so great with factory wheels

225's might be good for the front.

so 60 series won't mess up the speedometer?

89-bird

My 225-60's are 25.6 inches tall so they are only .4 inches smaller than the 215-65's are . A 245-60 will be around 26.6 inches tall so only .6 inches taller than 215-65's . So if you run 245's in the back and 225's in the front you should have an inch of rake from front to back instead of sitting level .

58mark

iTrader: (3)

see, that shows you how little I know about tires.. I thought the first number was how WIDE the tire is, and the second number is the profile, the distance from the edge of the rim to the outsdie of the tire. Wouldn't all 60/r15 profile tires be the same height?

is there a chart somewhere I can look at all of this in one shot?

84 z28

I had 255/60/15 on my 15x7's before i sold them and they looked decent

Pic is of 215/65/15 front and the 255/60/15 back

58mark

iTrader: (3)

THAT...... LOOKS....... AWESOME

any speedo issues?

58mark

iTrader: (3)

this is a cool page...

http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/tire-...dial-t-a-tires

first click "specs" and then that little button on the side that says "more info" and it gives some great information

58mark

iTrader: (3)

looks like a 235/60 is almost perfectly matched to what I have now, and wouldn't throw off the speedometer much, if any. It's wider, but not so wide that I couldn't use them on all 4 wheels, which would help rotation

84 z28

If it worked i would be able to tell you.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

LOL

don't guess you have any pics from behind, do you?

84 z28

This is the best one i can find right now. hope it helps

58mark

iTrader: (3)

maybe it's the shadows... i thought a 255 would look a little beefier..

still makes my current 215's look like bicycle tires though.. lol

84 z28

There a little beefier but not much. Thats why I stepped up to a 15x10 with 275 tire.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

my brain is not working today...

If I get a tire that is 26.1 diameter, and factory calls for 26, what would that do to the speedometer (if anything)

Right now It reads about 72MH if I'm going 70. Would it make it better or worse

84 z28

Use this and it will answer all your questions.

http://www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp

58mark

iTrader: (3)

thanks! that was exactly what I was looking for

Wonger360

The 255's look amazing on this car. I have the same setup however the front tires are shot due to alignment issues. Would it look stupid if the back tires had BFG writing one the tire and the fronts were just plain with no writing? Dumb question I know. Just thought I'd ask

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

You kinda understood the 60 series thing right.

It is 60%, of the first number, like the 225.

225/60 = 60% of 225

295/60 = 60% of 295

Make sense now?

Wanna get tricky? Send 2 of your wheels off to be widened. Turn your 15 x 7s into 15 x 10s, and they'll look exactly the same from the side. Only from the rear, wil they be noticed for the extra width.

Then you can run 295s or 305s & retain the stock look! You've got 2 months to get it done, then come show it off!

58mark

iTrader: (3)

that would be cool... I wonder how much it would cost?

who does that kind of work?

84 z28

Just turn the tires around so the writing is on the inside and your problem is solved.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

I used WheelsAmerica.com up in Dallas. IIRC, it was $200 per wheel for widening, up to 3". Or if you have any donor wheels, it's $150. Can you find donor wheels for under $50 each?

Some shops, like WeldcraftWheels.com that do widening too, will cut your wheels in half, add in a strip to widen the wheel, weld that strip in, then weld your inner back in. Meaning there are 2 weld seams.

WheelsAmerica.com up in Dallas actually uses 4 wheels. Your 2, plus 2 donor wheels. They'll cut yours behind the hub, use the hub & outers, then cut the inners of the donor wheels, but 1"/2"/3" (whatever you want) and weld the donor inners to your hub & outers. So you end up with only 1 weld seam.

I'm sure that WeldcraftWheels.com method resulting in 2 seams is perfectly safe on anything but a HIGH horsepower car, but I still liked the idea that there would only be 1 seam. That & WheelsAmerica.com up in Dallas was "local"....A Texas company that I could, if I wanted to, drive up there for an in person visit. I just paid to ship them instead.

From this:


To this:

58mark

iTrader: (3)

I have one extra wheel, I can get another one for a donor wheel if that's the way they want to do it.

it's a lot of money to spend on 15" RS wheels... I like them, but I'm not sure I like them THAT much.
I'll probably end up going with 235/60's that will be a little wider than what I have without messing up my speedometer.

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

Yeah. Including the powdercoating & shipping both ways, I spent $600 on my $400 wheels. So in just my rear 2 wheels I have $1000 in them, plus the tires. Expensive yes. But also what I really wanted. I've always wanted Snypers & they were the only wheels I was willing to get rid of my stock crosslaces for, so I did when got the chance too. Since they were widened to the inside, it looks no different from the side, as when they were just 9" wide. Kinda "sleeper"-like.

I've seen guys do it to stock 15"/16"wheels too, to keep the stock look, but fit bigger/better tires.

89-bird

..